The walls are speaking. Unless they have been silenced.

We regularly conject that a graffiti or Street Art piece rides only as long as it is allowed. Subject to immediate and daily perusal, illegal and legal artworks on the streets bear the scrutiny of society and can be singularly or collectively accepted or censored. In this respect, it is a reasonable assertion that our Street Art reflects societal views and tastes to a certain extent.  In one city nudity is quickly crossed over while an anti-imperialist rant may run for weeks for example, while another city may invert that equation.

This week’s images draw heavily from Berlin and Moscow, two cities that we’ve been in recently. While the images we have do not necessarily depict the range of visual conversation topics (this is more of a mini travelog) it is fresh on our mind the distinct differences of voices on the street – or the absense of. Expand the speech definition to advertising messages in the public sphere and to use a back-to-school metaphor, you’ll find that Moscow and Marrakech are quiet as a library while cities like New York and Berlin are the boys gymnasium during recess. This topic can be expanded into an essay, but alas, our Images of the Week are a small collection of artworks published in the public sphere just to help you keep somewhat current.

So, here’s our weekly interview with the street, this week featuring Appleton Pictures, Aske, ASKE, August, Dumb Saint, DXTRXN, Mongolz, Nasca Uno, Nelio, Ore, Plotbot Ken, Sophie Lambda, Tobo, Tuyu, and Zimad.

Tobo trolls Banksy and his “CND Soldiers” at Teufelsberg mountain in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Tobo dispensing sage advise at Teufelsberg mountain in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ASKE depicts an attractive female figure holding the key to a hopeful future in Moscow. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nelio in Moscow. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Indonesian Graffiti writer Tuyu mixes it up in Moscow. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

August in Moscow. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

BSA, Martha Cooper, Kostya August and Tuyu in Moscow. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Graffiti with Dog still life on the Berlin Metro. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

ORE in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

German angst in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

DXTRXN in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Plotbot Ken at Teufelsberg mountain in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Plotbot Ken at Teufelsberg mountain in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Nasca Uno at Teufelsberg mountain in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

The shadow of Blu. Mongolz and company at the old BLU wall in Berlin. (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Dumb Saint (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Zimad (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Appleton Pictures (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Sophie Lambda (photo © Jaime Rojo)

Untitled. Moscow, Russia. August 2016 (photo © Jaime Rojo)

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